Category: Bob Small

Brian Sims’ Campaign Posts Fake News

Brian Sims’ Campaign Posts Fake News

By Bob Small

Brian Sims, the only openly gay candidate for lieutenant governor was involved in a recent kerfuffle. His campaign posted an ad that ended with the phrase “ENDORSED JOSH SHAPIRO”, which meant to say that Josh Shapiro, the only Democrat running for governor, had endorsed him.  The only problem was that, that earlier this year, the state representative that Josh Shapiro had endorsed was Austin Davis of Allegheny County, who hopes to become the first African American elected to the Pennsylvania Lieutenant Governor’s office.

Brian Sims' Campaign Posts Fake News

In March, Brian Sims lost the support of both the state Democratic leaders and some parts of the LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transexual) Community.

One possible reason for the state Democrats to endorse a Shapiro-Davis ticket is geographical balance.  Shapiro is from Montgomery County and Davis is from Allegheny County.  Another possible reason is that David might help with the African American vote, which the Dems heavily depend on.

Of course, it should be noted that neither major party would endorse a candidate who exhibits too much independent thinking.

In a March 3 press conference, more than 40 LGBTQ leaders threw their lot in with Austin Davis.

Among the charges against Brian Sims is his failure to have any legislation passed after a decade in office.  He is also alleged to have an abrasive personality –along with many, if not most, of his fellow legislators.  Those are the only charges filed against him that could be found.

It should be noted that by necessity there is a great deal pragmatism at work in the LGBTQ Community, as there is in any marginalized community. “The LGBTQ community is not a monolith,” said LGBTQ Victory Fund spokesperson Elliott Imse.  The LGBTQ community decided to endorse Davis over Sims.

Why is Josh Shapiro the only Dem Candidate, while the GOP has 10?  That’s for another column.

Brian Sims’ Campaign Posts Fake News

More Alternatives For Pennsylvania Lieutenant Governor

More Alternatives For Pennsylvania Lieutenant Governor

By Bob Small

Returning to Pennsylvania’s lieutenant governor’s race, there are two very distinct GOP female candidates, as per Politics1.com: Carrie Lewis Delrosso and Clarice Schillinger (see previous post)

State Rep. Carrie Lewis DelRosso (R-Oakmont) defeated long-time House Minority Leader Frank Dermody, who had served as a state representative for almost three decades.  She is a self-described pro-lifer and second-amendment advocate. She also supports affordable health care, fewer regulations, and time limits for the Pennsylvania legislature, and opposes higher state taxes. 

Ms. DelRosso sees expected Democrat gubernatorial candidate Josh Shapiro, as “an extension of the disastrous Wolf administration, pandering to liberal interest groups and further wrecking an already wounded state economy.” She runs Carrie Lewis Delrosso LLC, a company that does business consulting, marketing, and public relations. She describes herself as “a working mother of three”.  

Meanwhile, Brian Sims, the first openly gay state representative (182nd) is running to become the first openly gay lieutenant governor of Pennsylvania. He is a civil-rights lawyer who has served as the president of the Board of Directors of Equality Pennsylvania and as chairman of Gallop (Gay and Lesbian Lawyers of Philadelphia).

As a college football player and team captain, he helped lead Bloomsberg University to the 2000 Division 2 National Championship Game. He later came out as gay to the team.

This would provide at least one person in the State House who would be affected by pending legislation on the issue of gay rights.

Russ Diamond is one of the few state-wide candidates that I have actually met, which occurred when I was advocating for the The Political Party Equality Act in the 2000s.

Diamond not only met with us but also spoke at one of our rallies.

He received a Public Service Achievement Award from Common Cause of Pennsylvania, among many awards.  He is an author, musician and private pilot.  He and his wife Beth, live in his family home in Annville., built by his great-grandparents.

Though his positions and mine don’t always align, I think he deserves respect for his experience and accomplishments.  How about an openly conservative lieutenant governor?

More Alternatives For Pennsylvania Lieutenant Governor
More Alternatives For Pennsylvania Lieutenant Governor

Open School Advocate Clarice Schillinger Seeks Lt. Gov. Seat

Open School Advocate Clarice Schillinger Seeks Lt. Gov. Seat

By Bob Small

Returning to the Pennsylvania Lieutenant Governor Race, we have two very distinct GOP female candidates, as per Politics1.com:  Carrie Lewis DelRosso and Clarice Schillinger, both of whom are Republicans.

We will cover Carrie Lewis Delrosso in a future post.

Clarice Schillinger founded Keeping Kids in School PAC, a bipartisan grassroots group in Southeast Pennsylvania created to elect candidates to school boards who would keep the schools open, and include parents and taxpayers in their decision making.  Through her efforts 94 school board candidates got on the ballot and 98 percent of them won their elections.

Open School Advocate Clarice Schillinger Seeks Lt. Gov. Seat
Clarice Schillinger

The school board elections was an issue we previously covered.

After the primaries, she created Back to School Pa., a statewide initiative that has given out over $600,000 to school board candidates, and provides candidate training and providing them with statewide media access.  She was featured in a March 1, 2021 article in the New York Times.   The funding, it should be added, comes from  various sources:

Dissatisfied with remote learning, some parents start to mobilize. – The …

Big money is pouring into Pa. school board elections, proxies in wars …

https://witf.org › 2021/11/01 › big-money-is-pouring

Mega-Donor Who Backed Stacey Abrams-Linked PAC Showers Clarice …

https://nationalfile.com › mega-donor-backed-stacey-ab..

She is married to Mike Schillinger, a carpenter and they have three children.

She first became an activist working to clean up the now-shuttered Willow Grove Naval Air Station thought to be a source of cancer in Horsham, Warminster, and Warrington, due to chemicals leaking into the groundwater. 

It is now a superfund site.

However, she has made one serious enemy inSimon Campell, a transplanted Brit who has recorded a serious of four YouTube videos titled Bollocks.

In this episode, he declares her unfit to hold office.

The only previous female lieutenant governor in Pa was the indomitable Catherine Baker Knoll, who served from 2003-2008 under Gove Ed Rendell.  For a good overview of her life, including her favorite motorcycle helmets, see The Steel Woman of the Steel City.  

Open School Advocate Clarice Schillinger Seeks Lt. Gov. Seat

Afro American Lt Gov Candidates From Both Parties In Pa

Afro American Lt Gov Candidates From Both Parties In Pa

By Bob Small

According to the University of Virginia Center for Politics, almost half the states elect lieutenant governors separately from governors.  This can lead to governors being from the other party than lieutenant governor though not normally in Pennsylvania.  

Politics1.com lists 13 Candidates for lieutenant governor, 11 men and two women, nine of whom are Republican along with four Democrats.  This includes the current incumbent Democrat, John Fetterman, who is also a candidate for US Senate.   About half of these candidates are current or former state representatives. 

Pennsylvania has never elected an Afro-American as lieutenant governor.

Among the Afro-American candidates who are seeking to break the color barrier at this office in 2022 are; Austin Davis, a state rep from Mon Valley whom Democrat gubernatorial candidate Josh Shapiro has endorsed; Republican Chris Frye who is the first Afro-American Mayor of New Castle, Pa. in it’s 200 year history and is e is pro-life, anti CRT, and believes in less government and more faith; and Republican and Hatboro resident James Jones , a Navy veteran and the founder of Silverback Commodities, who describes himself as a pro-life Christian constitutionalist and “Frederick Douglas Conservative.”

Afro American Lt Gov Candidates From Both Parties In Pa Austin Davis
Austin Davis
Afro American Lt Gov Candidates Chris Frye
Chris Frye
Afro American Lt Gov Candidates James Jones
James Jones
Afro American Lt Gov Candidates From Both Parties In Pa

Cancelling Disagreeable Speech Is Anti Speech

Cancelling Disagreeable Speech Is Anti Speech

By Bob Small

Article 1 of the Bill of Rights,  often misquoted, states “Congress shall make no law . . . abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press, or the right of the people peacefully to assemble”. 

This is not an agreement by the rest of us, though it should be, whether for DT, or GLBT, or RT, etc

On March 10,  there was a to be a bipartisan panel on civil liberties, hosted by the Yale Federalist Society, featuring Monica Miller, of the progressive AHS ( American Humanist Society) , which supports the rights of atheists and  battled with the American Legion, etc.) and Kristen Waggoner of the ADF (Alliance Defending Freedom).  ADF is pro-Life, pro-marriage, pro freedom of religion (at least for Christians) and are seen by some as being anti-GLBT, etc.Though the event did proceed to the end, there were some eventus interruptus.

FIRE (Foundation for Individual Rights in Education), which has a Conservative bent, feels that, essentially, the forum was prevented from happening, in it’s intended format.

Cancelling Disagreeable Speech Is Anti Speech

Fire notes that forcing the cancellation of speech you disagree with isn’t free speech.

David Lat, from Original Jurisdiction, has a more nuanced view.  “The protesters were disruptive at the start of the event, both inside the classroom and after they repaired to the hallway . . .they did calm down (eventually) and they did not succeed in canceling the Yale event, which moved forward to completion.” 

He later amends this to indicate there was a level of “disruption”.

Is free speech in American Law Schools a lost Cause?

John Sexton in Hot Air seems to try and take both sides.

Mark Joseph Stern of Slate Magazine feels that the Washington Free Beacon article by Aaron Sibarium regarding Judge Laurence Silberman’s desire for judges to blacklist all participants in the disruption overstates the case.

Lastly, I’ll mention  Angus Johnston of Left Wing Rolling Stone and his 2015 article There’s No College P.C. Crisis: In Defense of Student Protesters

Johnston quotes Frederick Douglas saying “sometimes,  it is not light that is not needed, but fire”.

A couple thoughts on this.  Why would YLS members prevent people from hearing Monica Miller?!  If you use Duck Duck Go and type in free speech at Yale and in defense of Yale student protest,  you will get various opinions. including crooks and liars.com, reason.com, Washington Post, and yale.edu. Lastly thanks to Scott from Vermont for the Fire article which began the search.

Cancelling Disagreeable Speech Is Anti Speech

Convention Of States Halfway There

Convention Of States Halfway There

By Bob Small

 Article V of the US Constitution says that a convention may be called on the Application of the Legislatures of two thirds of the several States for proposing Amendments, which, . . . shall be valid to all Intents and Purposes, as Part of this Constitution, when ratified by Conventions in three fourths thereof.

This is the alternative to way that starts in Congress, and has not been used since 1787.

Now my radical friend, Scott of Vermont, sent me an article showing that West Virginia, on March 3,  became the 17th state to pass a Convention of States (COS), meaning that half of the necessary 34 States now support it.

 As to how a COS might work, Rob Natelson gives a good summary.

A planning session for a true Article V convention was held in 2017in Phoenix.

Hillary Clinton attacked, which means it should probably have been supported.  What happened at the 2017 session can be found here.

Convention Of States Halfway There

Though the 2022 proposal has not yet passed the Pennsylvania Legislature, one notable Pennsylvanian, former Senator Rick Santorum is actively stumping for it  “We’re at the time in America where we have to break the glass and pull the cord that says “pull here in case of emergency,” he said. “I think we have to come to that collective realization, that things are not going to get better doing what we have been doing”.  This is from a speech at The National Religious Broadcasters Meeting, where he went on to say that we were seeing “authoritanism that we never saw before.  We’re seeing it from both parties.”

The Convention of States website lists 64 percent of Pennsylvania voters supporting a convention.

There is conservative opposition, though, well summed up by The Freedom First Society.

Among the possible topics to be discussed would be congressional and Supreme Court term limits both of which are attractive to both left and right.

In the meantime, there is a bill slowly winding it’s way through the Pennsylvania Senate that would “allow voters to call for limited constitutional conventions for government reform”, regarding the Pennsylvania Constitution.

More on that in a future post.

Convention Of States Halfway There

Primary 2022 Part 2

Primary 2022 Part 2

By Bob Small

As discussed in a previous post, there was a Democracy Unplugged which, briefly became Delco Debates.

This change was due to some internecine fighting over goals and outcomes.  For context, in the mid-70’s I was briefly in some political party that could be called The East Philadelphia Socialist Concept, where three of us felt if  we could only overthrow the other three, then we could begin the Revolution.  Well this is what happened to Democracy Unplugged.  That, and we actually helped, albeit slightly, influence an actual election.

My guide to following these more interesting, less electable Candidates has always been Politics1.com

To follow the congressional races, go to “Governor and Statewide races” and locate Pennsylvania in the US Map, then scroll down past Gov, Lt. Gov and Senator to Congressional Races.  Tapping the name of a Candidate will lead you to his/her Facebook or Twitter page or website. 

We stopped at the 5th Congressional District, last time but now we’ll skip up to CD 12 and Republican Don Neville, the only tattoo artist on the whole CD Candidate list. He sees himself as an antidote to the “socialist/progressives” in this election.  He also advocates “parents rights to educational decisions”.

Primary 2022 Part 2

CD 14 only lists one Candidate, incumbent Guy Reschenthaler.  In this case, I blame theDemocrats for not fielding an opposition candidate.  Maybe my fellow Greens or the Libs can get someone on the Ballot by the August deadline.

CD 15 lists Libertarian Liz Terwilliger who believes in core Libertarian values “I believe in minimal government.  Government’s role is to protect and secure individual rights”

She works as a speech-language pathologist,

CD 16 has a farmer, Rick Telesz, running under the Democratic banner.  He sits on the steering committee for Rural Voices USA. He also sits on the PA Soybean Board, etc.

CD 17  includes Democratic Candidate Sean Meloy, who champions LGBTQ rights and is a member of the DNC.  If elected, he would be the first openly Gay member of Congress from Pennsylvania  If elected, he promises to hold corporations and special interests accountable.

CD 18 was eliminated in 2022, due to the 2020 Census. Democrat Mike Doyle had the honor of being the very last congressperson for this district.

Primary 2022 Part 2

Primary 2022 Is Coming And Politics1 Is A Good Tout Board

Primary 2022 Is Coming And Politics1 Is A Good Tout Board

By Bob Small

To begin with, I no longer support any candidate who might win.  In ’96 I voted for Bill Clinton who turned out to be everything he said he opposed. That learned me.  I do wonder how John McCain might have been as President, but his running mate scared me, and many others.   Now Obama’s VP scares many of us.  Oh well.

Since then, in my previous volunteer work with Democracy Unplugged, I have sought to give space to the “fringe” voices who will never hold elective office but may have some ideas we might want to hear, along with other “issue” forums.  For one example, see. Jan 30th, 2008  Democracy Unplugged Candidates Forum

My guide to locating these unheard voices has always been Politics.1, a website that lists almost all of the candidates running for the “larger” statewide offices.

Most recently, they cited Monaco’s pledge against Vladmir Putin as a reason for his imminent downfall, so they do have a sense of humor.

Pennsylvania’s Primary Election is May 17.

To follow the Congressional races, go to “Governor and Statewide races” and locate Pennsylvania in the US Map, then scroll down past governor, lieutenant governor and senator to congressional races.  Tapping the name of a candidate will lead you to his/her Facebook or Twitter or website page.

Primary 2022 Is Coming And Politics1 Is A Good Tout Board

Starting in CD 1, we have Henry Conoly, either a Green or a Libertarian, who actively opposes US involvement in Ukraine (see his whole Twitter feed)

CD 2 has Salem Snow who is a Kensington-based housing justice and medicare for all activist.

In CD 3 we had Daryl Brooks, a Republican frequent candidate and self-professed felon.

Skipping over to CD 5, which is Swarthmore’s own Mary Gay Scanlon, neither the Libertarian John Hayes or Proud Boys organizer Richard Schwetz have any websites, though Richard is all over the internet in Proud Boys mentions.  John Hayes, Republican,  is an anti-vaccine mandater, among other good qualities. However, I have to vote for my Swarthmore neighbor, or I will be shunned.  

Primary 2022 Is Coming And Politics1 Is A Good Tout Board

Censorship Always Backfires, Save Jesse

Censorship Always Backfires, Save Jesse

By Bob Small

Sometime in 2000, I received a t-Shirt from my daughter, then and now in Minneapolis (she said Philadelphia was too warm for her).  This t- Shirt had the map of Minnesota with the message “My Governor can beat your Governor”.  This was my introduction to then Minnesota Governor Jesse Ventura, former professional wrestler, and, prior to that, a member of the US Navy Underwater Demolition Team.

Years later, I discovered he had a podcast on ITunes entitled  “The World According to Jesse”.

I learned how to “burn” podcasts to CD’s. This became one of the few political podcasts we both enjoy listening to together in the car.

However, there’s always a however in life, this podcast was one of the ones on RT aka Russia Today, which is sponsored by Russia, as VOA (Voice of America) is sponsored by the US government.  Recently, due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Meta aka Facebook aka big media Google. etc, has banned RT from all it’s platforms, including ITunes.

Censorship Always Backfires, Save Jesse

However, RT can now be accessed via Rumble, soon to be the home of Truth Social.  

In a way, then, Vladmir Putin and Donald Trump will be, at least electronically, neighbors.

There are a number of reasons why this may not be as good an idea as it seems, leaving aside the first amendment rights of Jesse Ventura and other American presenters on RT.

“The act of censorship can have a totally counterproductive effect on the citizens who follow the banned media,”  said Ricardo Gutierrez, who is general secretary of the European Federation of Journalists. “In our opinion, it is always better to counteract the disinformation of propagandist or allegedly propagandist media by exposing their factual errors or bad journalism.”  

Secondly, neither BBC, Deutsche Welle (Germany), NPR or VOA make any pretense at objectivity.  All have their subjectivities.

Third, if both Mein Kampf  and The 1915 film Birth of a Nation are available at the click of a mouse, why not RT?

Also see podcast by TimcastIRL: https://rumble.com/vwe6o5-rt-rt-america-just-shut-down-lays-off-all-staff-leftists-gloat.html

And then today, my natal day, I discovered RT was again on all the online sites though without any reason for it’s resumption!  The internet seemed to be acting as if the banishment never happened!   That happens a lot on the internet.

Censorship Always Backfires, Save Jesse

Oliver Cromwell Revolutionary Drummer And African American

Oliver Cromwell Revolutionary Drummer And African American

By Bob Small

The DAR (Daughters of the American Revolution), as mentioned in a previous post, is changing who is remembered, both on their own and, sometimes, with a little push.

Most recently and locally, a long overdue plaque was placed at the house of the memorably named Oliver Cromwell, an Afro-American who served with George Washington from 1776 to the 1781 Battle of Yorktown. He accompanied George Washington as his regimental drummer during this time.  The plaque is at his last residence in Burlington, N.J..

Among other notable facts about Oliver Cromwell is that he lived to be 100, a rare feat in that time. He was born May 24, 1752. He was awarded a “Badge of Merit” for six years of faithful service and also received a war pension.

There is an Oliver Cromwell Black History Society founded in 1984.   They have given out over $20,000 to date for students particiating in the Black History Month Art and Essay Contests

Oliver Cromwell Revolutionary Drummer And African American

They also have a yearly “Oliver Cromwell Living History Award”. Contact information about the society can be found here.

In 1850, Oliver Cromwell told the census taker that his occupation was  “Drummer in the Revolution”.

Deb Hvizdos, the New Jersey DAR State Historian came across his story in 2017, shortly after taking over her position. 

“His story spoke to me,” she said. 

She began working on his case at that point, though the entire process took almost five years. 

This is not mentioned on either the New Jersey State Society of DAR –last updated on Sept. 26 –, nor on their national website, nor on the closest New Jersey Chapter to Burlington, The Colonel Thomas Reynolds Chapter of Mount Holly. 

To paraphrase Matthew 5:15 the DAR should not be hiding it’s light under a bushel.

As to Burlington, NJ, we spent some time there earlier in our lives during our “Quaker phrase.”

it was a place for regional Quaker meetings and had a long previous history of abolitionism, and, at the time, it felt like a modern version of “small town America”.  Have not been there in the proverbial ages, though the Burlington Quaker Meeting House and Conference Center, circa 1783, is still open for business.

Oliver Cromwell Revolutionary Drummer And African American